Neighbour Neighbour
by jemb
Summary: Temperance has a new neighbour, a cute new neighbour. But things start going wrong and tragedy looms on the horizon......UPDATED.....Final 2 chapters uploaded. What will happen to Brennan? Can Booth save her? AMENDED BECAUSE RATING WAS WRONG
1. Chapter 1

_**Okay, so this is one of the stories I started writing ages ago but never got finished. I had a sudden burst of inspiration and thrashed out the last half in a few hours so I'm sorry if it seems rushed or there are mistakes.**_

Neighbour Neighbour

As Temperance Brennan rolls over in her large double bed, her cheek meets the cool material of the pillow and she sighs contentedly. Then her eyes fly open wide and she sits up, clutching the sheets around her. Snapping her head around she looks at the alarm clock and sees that it is flashing 00:00 indicating its power supply was cut. Climbing quickly out of bed, Brennan frantically looks on her dresser for her watch to find out what time it actually is. When she locates the chunky leather and gold trimmed watch she sees it is almost eight thirty.

"I'm late." She gasps. The next half hour flies by as Brennan has a quick shower and gets ready for work. Dr Saroyan is expecting her in a meeting at nine thirty and if she's late her new boss will hit the roof. When Brennan finally has her jacket and bag in her hands, she pulls her keys out and yanks open her apartment door. As she steps out into the hall she collides with someone and drops everything in her hands.

"I am so sorry." A soft male voice says.

"No it was my fault." Brennan replies as she crouches on the ground to pick up her belongings.

"Let me help." The man says, crouching next to her. Brennan lifts her head enough to see him. He looks to be in his mid thirties with sandy brown hair and glasses over dark brown eyes. He smiles and rises to his feet with Brennan following.

"I'm Evan, Evan Mitchell." He smiles warmly at Brennan.

"Uh, Temperance Brennan." She introduces.

"I've just moved into the building." He tells her, indicating with his hand that he has moved into the apartment directly opposite Brennan.

"Well welcome." Brennan says almost automatically. "I'm late, I have to go."

"No problem neighbour." Evan grins. "I'll see you around." He says as Brennan breezes past him and down the hall.

"A cute new neighbour?" Angela squeals when she hears about Brennan's encounter this morning.

"I never said anything about him being cute Angela." Brennan rolls her eyes.

"But he is right?"

"He isn't not cute." Brennan cocks her head to the side. "I only saw him for a minute."

"Saw who?" Booth grins as he strides into Brennan's office like he owns it.

"Don't you knock anymore?" Brennan asks as she turns her head to look at him. Booth merely shrugs, smiles at Angela, and plops himself down in the chair opposite her.

"Brennan has a new neighbour." Angela explains. "She was just telling me how cute he was."

"For the last time I did not say he was cute." Brennan feels a little flustered that she is discussing another man with Booth in the room and to get away from the situation she quickly rises to her feet and crosses the room to her bookcase.

"I'm a little busy here so if you came for a reason Booth." She waits for him to explain his presence, not that she minds that he's here in the slightest.

"Can't I just stop by to say hello." Booth asks as he twists in his chair to grin at her.

"Of course you can." Angela answers for Brennan. "We love having you round." Angela flashes her eyebrows up and down cheekily.

"Thanks Angela." Booth turns to grin at the other woman. "But I did actually come for a reason." He claps his hands together and rises to his feet. "Bones, I need you to come with me to Virginia."

"What for? Brennan asks as she pulls a book off the shelf and turns back to face him.

"Some kids found a skeleton in a federal park and I need you to do your magic." Brennan sighs and makes like she doesn't want to go when inside she's thinking about spending the rest of the day with Booth.

"Fine." She sighs. "But it's not magic." She adds.

It's after one in the morning when Brennan finally gets back to her apartment. Weary and with the beginnings of a headache the last thing Brennan needs to see is her new neighbour. But she does. When she approaches his door he exits his.

"Temperance." He smiles. "How are you?" he asks.

"Fine thanks." She replies as she sticks her keys in the door.

"Is this you just getting back from work?" he questions.

"I work odd hours." Brennan explains as she rubs her one temple.

"Long ones by looks of things." Evan smiles. "I'll see you later." He gives her a little wave as he heads down the hall. Brennan doesn't even bother to think why he's leaving his apartment in the middle of the night. All she wants is a couple of painkillers and to curl up in bed.

But she doesn't get that. Only an hour after she has lain down in bed her smoke alarm starts going off. After forcing her eyes open, Brennan climbs out of bed and pads through to the living room in her pyjamas to see what has caused it. She can't see anything on fire or creating smoke. As she drags a chair from the table to under the smoke alarm she hears a knocking at her door. _Who the hell is that?_ She moans to herself before she crosses the room and yanks open the door.

"Evan!" she exclaims.

"Sorry, I was just coming home and heard the smoke alarm. Is everything alright?" he peers over her shoulder into her apartment.

"Yes. It just started going off by itself." Brennan tells him. "I'm about to take the battery out." She sighs.

"I can take a look at it." Evan offers. "I used to fit these." He tells her. Brennan looks a little reluctant to let him in but she caves after a moment. _What can it hurt?_ She thinks. Stepping aside she lets Evan enter. He walks to the smoke alarm, steps on the chair and seconds later the beeping stops.

"There was a loose connection." Evan announces. "It's fixed now." He adds as he steps down.

"Thank you." Brennan replies.

"Anytime." Evan tells her. "I'm always here to help." He heads back over to the door. "Goodnight Temperance." he adds as he steps back into the hall and moves to his own door. Brennan hovers by her open door as he goes into his apartment before closing and locking the door. _Peace _

Brennan begins to see more and more of her new neighbour. It feels strange to her to be friendly with a neighbour. She's never really spoken to anyone else in the building before but Evan seems to be around a lot and he is incredibly friendly, despite the occasions when Brennan was deliberately more anti-social than normal. It becomes almost a ritual of her greeting him as they pass in the hall in the morning then stopping for a conversation when she returns after work. One afternoon he invites her in for coffee.

"Uh sure." Brennan replies. She steps into his apartment, remarking to herself how similar it is to her own in layout, except the actual design of the furniture. Evan quickly puts the coffee on as Brennan slips into a seat at the table in the kitchen.

"So, what is it you do that has you keeping such odd hours?" Evan asks.

"I'm a forensic anthropologist." Brennan tells him.

"What does that mean?"

"I specialise in identifying human remains….of people." She adds.

"Wow, that must be interesting work." Evan remarks.

"Most people think it's weird." She tells him.

"What sort of remains do you work on?" Evan questions further.

"I work at the Jeffersonian Institute. Some of my work is on remains of unknown soldiers from wars. I also get to look at ancient remains but most of my work these days is for the FBI."

"The FBI?" Evan asks as he hands her a hot cup of coffee.

"Yes." She states. "I help them identify murder victims and catch the killer." She takes a sip of the coffee.

"Well I think you must have the most interesting job I've ever heard of." He smiles at her. Brennan suddenly realises something and it surprises her that she picks up on it. Remembering something that Booth said to her over a year ago when they went to Washington State to work on a case, Brennan realises that Evan is hitting on her. He's showing a lot of interest in her work like the men in Aurora did when dancing with her in the bar. She starts to feel uncomfortable because she hardly knows him, and truth be told her heart lies elsewhere and she doesn't want to complicate things by starting a new relationship with unresolved feelings for someone else.

"Uh I guess." She replies. "Evan, thank you for the coffee but I really should get some rest." She rises to her feet and heads for the door.

"Anytime Temperance." Evan grins at her.

In the morning as Brennan tries to get ready she finds her water is not working. Sighing heavily she calls Booth on his cell to let him know she's going to be late.

"Problems?" Booth asks, finding it odd that Brennan would be late.

"My water isn't working." She explains. "I have to call the super. He'll take forever."

"I can swing by, see if I can fix it." Booth offers.

"I don't want to put you out." Brennan replies.

"No problem Bones." Booth smiles to himself. Spending time outside the lab with Brennan is always a treat no matter the circumstances.

Booth arrives at Brennan's apartment a little before nine. He finds her still wearing her pyjamas and it makes him smile to see her wearing pink cotton pyjamas with little kittens printed on them.

"Hey, so where's the main?" he asks. Brennan sends him over to the corner of the apartment where the main pipe bringing water to the building enters her apartment. She watches as Booth gets to work examining the pipe and the surround ones leading to her various appliances, namely the shower. As he works there is a knock at the door. Brennan pads over and pulls the door open, not at all surprised to see Evan standing there. Lately he seems to be the only one knocking on her door, except for Booth this morning of course.

"Hey, is your water out?" he asks.

"Uh yeah." She replies.

"Mine was too but I fixed it. You want me to take a look?" he asks.

"Um no, thank you. My uh friend is looking at it now." She turns and looks over at Booth. Evan sticks his head in the door and his eyes widen when he sees Booth.

"Right." He nods.

"Bones, the problem's fixed." Booth calls from the floor. When she doesn't immediately respond he stands up and sees her at the door talking to a man.

"Bones?" he calls over.

"Uh Booth, this is my neighbour. Evan Mitchell. Evan, my partner Seely Booth." Booth walks over and eyes up the neighbour.

"Special Agent Seely Booth." He offers his hand to Evan and when it's accepted he shakes it firmly, establishing dominance.

"Ah, the FBI guy." Evan nods. "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it if everything is under control?" he looks to Temperance, hoping she'll ask for his help.

"Yes, everything is under control." Booth voices for her. "See you." He waves off Evan as Brennan stands glaring at him. When the door is closed and they are alone she turns to him.

"You didn't have to be rude Booth."

"He's weird." Booth replies. "You don't want someone like that hanging around you.

"How would you know?" Brennan plants her hands on her hips in an attempt to look angry at him for being judgemental. For Booth it doesn't work because she just looks cute in her pyjamas.

"My gut." He tells her. The two glare at each other for a moment the Brennan breaks the moment and stalks off to the bathroom to finally get her shower.

If Brennan believed in such things as bad luck, she'd think she'd walked under a ladder or broken a mirror her luck is so bad. Things keep breaking, like her microwave, oven and leaky pipes and just this morning she finds the passenger window of her car smashed in To top it all off, a couple of nights ago Evan scared some guy away from her door in the middle of the night who, according to Evan, looking like he was trying to break in. Fortunately Brennan had not been home but the scratch marks on her door at the locks spoke for the incident. She had thanked Evan for being there and chasing the guy away.

Now, as she tells Angela of the smashed window both she and Booth who, as always, enters the room when she's discussing something she doesn't want him to know, both voice deep concern.

"What do you mean someone smashed your car window?" Booth demands.

"Just that Booth." Brennan brushes past him to move around behind her desk.

"Bones?" Booth plants his hands on his waist and stares at her.

"What do you want me to say?" she asks. "That I think some psycho is out to get me? Come on Booth, these things happen." She tells him. "It was probably kids."

"She's right Booth." Angela voices. Part of her worries it wasn't but there doesn't seem to be another rational explanation.

"And if not?" Booth asks.

"That's what you're here for." Brennan grins. "Unless you get me that gun." She waggles her eyebrows playfully.

"Just promise me you'll be careful." Booth says. Brennan gives him a look that tells Booth 'I can take care of myself' and Booth backs down for now. He can't help but feel overprotective of his partner. They've been through so much together and they encounter dangerous situations all the time.

"Bren, I know you brushed it off in front of Booth but I'm getting a little worried about all these incidents." Angela tells her friend. "Don't you think it's weird that things keep going wrong?" she asks.

"Not really." Brennan shrugs.

"Come on, the smoke alarm, the leaking pipes, the smashed car window, the attempted break in." Angela recounts the recent incidents and now that it's all been run together and coming from someone else, Brennan starts to think twice.

"I'm just having a run of bad luck." Brennan says. "And there was no proof that anyone was outside my apartment except for a few scratches on the door which I could have made myself." She states.

"Brennan, I don't want to freak you out but haven't you noticed that all this started happening when that new guy moved into your building?" Angela asks.

"Angela, Evan may keep odd hours and maybe I don't know much about him but he's not doing any of this." Brennan walks away from Angela to her desk.

"Just think about it sweetie." Angela offers before heading back to work.

Late in the evening, Brennan wakes from a troubled sleep with a start, sensing someone is in the room with her. As she sits up a figure steps out of the shadows.

"Don't be scared Temperance. It's me, Evan." He friendly neighbour says.

"Evan, what are you doing?"

"I'm looking out for you Temperance." He says softly. "So many bad things have been happening and you won't ask me for help."

"I don't need help." Brennan states. "I'd like you to leave." She doesn't really think her words will work but she has to try.

"I can't do that." Evan says. As he steps into the moonlight, Brennan sees he is holding a large carving knife in his hand.

"Evan, why do you have a knife?" Brennan asks. As he advances, she moves across the bed so she can get out. When she finds her feet Evan is walking around to her, pointing the knife at her. He doesn't answer Brennan's question, instead moving closer to her. The next few minutes pass in a blur as Brennan and Evan enter a deadly fight. She utilises all her self defence training to escape, hitting and punching Evan but receiving a few knocks herself. A searing pain in her side suddenly tells her she's lost the fight. Evan disappears into the darkness in a flash as Brennan stumbles across her bedroom, her hand pressed against her side. Her mind races as she feels a warm sticky substance she knows is blood from a stab wound. When she hears her apartment door slam shut she knows that she is safe for now, as long as she doesn't bleed to death.

A few minutes later in the kitchen, Brennan presses her hand to the cut on her side. A trail of blood leads from her bedroom across the apartment to where she is propped up against a counter taking deep breaths. Clutching the phone, Brennan dials Booth's number with a shaky hand.

"Booth." He answers after a few rings.

"It's me." Brennan gasps.

"Bones, it's the middle of the night." He says groggily.

"I know." Brennan says before gasping loudly. _I need you_

"Bones?" Booth hears something off in her voice. "Bones, what's wrong?" he probes.

"Evan." Brennan whispers. _Help me_

"What about him?"

"He stabbed me." Brennan tells him. In his bed, Booth sits bolt upright, a cold fear running through him.

"Bones, where are you?"

"Home."

"Where's Evan?"

"Gone." She whispers.

"Don't move, I'll be right over." _Hurry_

Booth calls the police and an ambulance on his way to Brennan's. He gets there in record time because there is no traffic at 3am. When he bursts through the door with his gun drawn he looks for Brennan but doesn't see her.

"Bones!" he calls out, his voice just a little shaky.

"Booth." Brennan croaks from her slumped position on the kitchen floor. Booth runs over, holstering his gun at the same time. His eyes scan over the bruise on her cheek and the deep red stain spreading over her white vest. Her face is pale and ashy and her brow beaded with sweat. Kneeling at her side, Booth gently lifts her vest away from her skin to see the wound. There is an inch long gash in her side bleeding profusely.

"Oh God Bones." He gasps. "I've called an ambulance. You're going to be fine." He assures her. "Bones, look at me." He lifts her chin with two fingers and locks eyes with her. "You're going to be fine." He tells her again, a little firmer. Brennan nods and sucks in a deep breath. She already feels a little safer now that he is here with her. Glancing around, Booth looks for something to use to stop the bleeding. He notices a dishcloth and reaches over to grab it. Folding the dishcloth he presses it firmly against Brennan's side. She cries out in pain but Booth maintains the pressure.

"I'm sorry Bones, I have to try and stop the bleeding." He tells her, focusing on her eyes. She keeps their gaze and nods her head.

"Tell me what happened."

"Evan was in my room." She says. "He had a knife. We fought and he stabbed me."

"Was he hurt?" Booth asks.

"I don't know. I might have…" Brennan trails off, a wave of pain and nausea coming over her.

"Bones?"

"I hit him pretty hard." She says weakly.

"That's my girl." Booth smiles and brushes his hand over her forehead and hair, giving Brennan a small amount of comfort despite her pain.

Brennan is rushed to hospital with Booth at her side the whole way. A quick analysis by the ER staff confirms that the wound is deep and needs immediate surgery so Brennan is whisked off to have the wound closed and her lost fluids restored. Booth has the unenviable task of calling Angela to tell her what has happened to her best friend. When he's done he waits patiently to see Brennan. Angela arrives before the surgeons are done so the two wait together.

"I knew there was something wrong with him but she wouldn't listen to me." Angela almost sounds angry.

"Go easy on her Angela. You realise that as screwed up as this turned out, this is the first time Bones has let someone into her life own her own. She's probably kicking herself for trusting him right now."

"I guess you're right." Angela agrees. "I'll just yell at her for not locking her door properly." She breaks a little smile. Booth is suddenly distracted by a doctor approaching them from down the hall.

"Here we go." He stands up and Angela rises with him, wringing her hands with worry.

"Agent Booth, Temperance is going to be just fine. We've repaired the damage and closed the wound. Right now she's in recovery but you'll be able to see her in a few hours when we move her to a room." He smiles. Booth and Angela both let out an audible sigh of relief and Angela suddenly throws her arms around Booth, hugging him tightly for a moment.

"Someone will call you when you can see her." As the surgeon walks away, Booth and Angela return to their seats to wait, this time the worry all but gone. Booth still knows that Evan Mitchell is out there on the loose and very unstable.

After a few days of rest in the hospital Brennan is released. Although she's happy to be getting out, she isn't sure about going home to her apartment. After what happened there she isn't sure she feels safe. When she walks out of her room to meet Angela who is supposed to be taking her one, one arm held protectively over her stomach and side where she has quite a few stitches, she finds not her best friend but Booth waiting with an anxious smile on his face.

"Need a ride?" he asks. Brennan smiles and cocks her head to the side.

"Where's Angela?" Brennan asks.

"She got held up at the lab." Booth explains. "She asked me to come get you."

"I suppose you'll do." Brennan smiles at him.

"Let me take that." Booth reaches out for the bag Brennan is holding in her other hand. She willingly gives it to him, the weight stretching her body and irritating her wound. "I thought you'd want to know. Evan Mitchell was picked up by the police last night." Booth tells her. Brennan remains silent. "His real name is Walter Rifkin and he has a record as long as…well lets' jut say you weren't the first person to have an encounter with him." Booth says gravely.

"How many?"

"Five reported assaults." Booth states. "One murder." He adds, hoping not to upset her too much.

"Oh."

"Don't worry Bones, he's behind bars and he's not getting out." Booth states as he puts his free arm around Brennan's shoulder and guides her down the hall to the elevator.

Across town a police transport vehicle carrying several prisoners to court for hearings and trials comes to a stop at a set of lights on an empty stretch of road. There are several loud thuds and a bang before the rear doors are thrown open and four men in orange jumpsuits leap out onto the deserted street. Evan, or Walter as his birth certificate states, looks around anxiously before running off into in the direction of some abandoned warehouses. He doesn't see, or care, where the other prisoners have gone. He only has one thing on his mind. Making Temperance Brennan his….forever.

_**So I've left this wide open for a second chapter. Right now I haven't written a word of the second chapter and I have no idea where it will go so I'll wait for any reviews I get before carrying on. If you liked this and want me to continue, you know what you have to do. Go on, press the little button, you know you want to….. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Taking some of the advise from my reviews, I've tried to pace this chapter a bit better and included more of the characters thoughts. I hope you like it_**

"Are you sure you're alright here Bones?" Booth asks as he hovers near the door to her apartment after dropping her off from the hospital.

"I'm fine Booth." Brennan insists with a smile. She feels a little insecure being in the same place that Evan Mitchell, or Walter Rifkin, attacked her, but she has a strange need to prove to Booth that she's not vulnerable and can handle the situation herself.

"Okay, well…" Booth starts to move towards the door. "Call me if you need anything."

"Sure." Brennan nods.

"Right, I guess I'll see you back at work in a few days then." Booth opens the door and steps out into the hall. Brennan nods and gives him a smile to assure him she's fine. He finally leaves and Brennan sighs heavily. Looking around her apartment she can see that Angela and Hodgins did a good job cleaning up. She can't see where she bled onto the floors and the mess from the fight in her bedroom has been cleared too. Brennan spends some time unpacking her bag and then takes a quick shower. After re-dressing her stitches, Brennan walks to the couch and eases her aching body down. Flicking on the television she only bought recently after Booth ridiculed her for not having one, Brennan turns to the news to catch up on world events. The news story she comes across catches her interest.

"_Police are hunting a group of convicts who escaped from a prison transport vehicle three hours ago. The vehicle was transporting the men to court when, in the warehouse district, prison guards were overpowered and the men escaped."_ Brennan stares at the screen as pictures of the men flash up and her heart begins to pound when she sees one all too familiar face on her screen. Walter.

Recovering from the initial shock, Brennan reaches for her phone and frantically punches in Booth cell phone number. He seems to take forever to answer.

"Bones? Need something already?" he asks, surprised to hear from her so soon. He's only just turned onto his street.

"He escaped." She states. "I'm watching the news right now and Walter Rifkin escaped a few hours ago." She can hear her own voice becoming frantic.

"Bones, slow down. What?"

"The news, it's on the news Booth." She tells him.

"I'm turning around Bones, just make sure the door is locked and don't open it for anyone but me okay." He says firmly. As he hangs up and swerves the car onto the other side of the road, Booth begins to fume. He can't believe he wasn't told about this. _Someone is going to pay._

Booth knocks on Brennan's door. She must have been waiting for him on the other side because the door opens quickly.

"You okay?" Booth reaches out and strokes her arm. "Don't worry Bones, everything is going to be fine." He tries to sound reassuring but he isn't sure he does. Brennan folds her arms under her breasts and drops her head. Behind her Booth closes and locks her apartment door then pulls the chain to secure it. He turns to Brennan and rests his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm going to make a few calls and see if I can find out what's going on. I don't want you to worry Bones. I won't let anything happen to you." Booth leans down to meet her eyes and upon contact he flashes a little smile. "I promise."

Brennan busies herself making coffee as Booth makes a few phone calls. She can hear how mad he is about the situation.

"Why the hell wasn't I told about this sooner?" she hears Booth demand. "You know there's only one thing he's going to do now! Dr Brennan is highly at risk." Brennan shudders at Booth's words. She knows he doesn't mean to scare her but hearing Booth indicate that Walter is coming after her sends ripples of fear through her. Brennan has been in many life threatening situations but none quite like this. Booth turns to face her as he finishes his call and he can tell by her body language that something he said has upset her. Her shoulders are slumped and her head lowered. He's used to seeing her poised and confident.

"Bones?" he asks as he walks over to her. He turns her around by her shoulders but her head remains lowered. She's afraid to let him see the fear in her eyes. "Bones?" Booth lifts her chin with two fingers and forces eye contact.

"I'm sorry Bones. I didn't mean to upset you." He whispers. Brennan averts her gaze and twists away from Booth.

"What's the plan?" she changes the subject. _He was getting too close_ she tells herself.

"I'm waiting for Cullen to call me." He tells her. "It shouldn't be long. We just need to sit tight."

"Right." Brennan crosses the room and turns up the volume on the television. The news is still reporting on the escape. She stands and watches, one hand holding the remote, the other protectively across her stomach. Just as Booth starts across the room to go to her his cell rings and the caller ID identifies Cullen as the caller.

"Sir." Booth answers. He listens as Cullen gives him instructions, nodding occasionally and glances over at Brennan once in a while. She is watching him intently, knowing her life is in the balance. "Okay, I'll check in later." Booth hangs up, sighs and turns to Brennan.

"You need to pack." He sighs.

"Why?" she asks.

"Cullen is putting you into a safe house until Walter is apprehended." Booth explains.

"A safe house?" Brennan asks.

"Yeah, round the clock protection in an undisclosed location." Booth explains.

"I know what a safe house is Booth." Brennan sighs. "Is it really necessary?" she asks. "I mean, he can't get to me if I'm at the lab."

"Bones trust me on this one okay. We don't know what Walter is capable of and the safest thing is for you to be under FBI protection." _I don't want Walter getting within a hundred miles of you_. Brennan debates what to do in her head for a few moments and realises she doesn't really have a choice.

"Fine." She replies before walking off to her bedroom to pack some clothes. Booth watches her go, his heart aching. He hates that she's in this position and all he wants is to make her safe.

Two hours later Booth pulls up at a suburban house. An FBI agent who identifies himself as Agent Caldwell meets them and escorts the pair into the house where another agent is waiting.

"Dr Brennan, this is Agent Frank." Caldwell introduces a second agent. Brennan shakes his hand and Booth offers a nod of greeting.

"Let me show you around." Agent Frank indicates for Brennan to go with him. Booth nods approval and Brennan reluctantly follows, taking her bag with her. Booth remains with Agent Caldwell to discuss security.

"This is the bedroom." Agent Frank opens a door and shows Brennan a plainly decorated room with a second door leading to a bathroom. "I know it's not much…" he trails off.

"I've lived in worse." Brennan states. After leaving her bag on the bed Brennan follows Frank through the rest of the house. It has a second bedroom with two single beds, a bathroom and kitchen and then they are back in the living room with Booth and Caldwell.

"It's not so bad huh Bones?" Booth smiles. Brennan doesn't reply, she just shrugs and sits down on the couch. "Okay, well I have to go meet with Cullen." Booth stuffs his hands into his pants pockets. "You okay?" he asks.

"Fine, wonderful." Brennan replies sarcastically.

"We'll take care of her." Caldwell assures him.

"I'll check in on you later." Booth tells Brennan before heading out. She is then left alone with the two FBI agents who set about telling her the rules and security measures for her time with them. As they talk all Brennan can think about is how restricted she is. It isn't that she wants to go running around town hitting bars or anything but she has next to no freedom, no time alone and she's being kept from her work at the Jeffersonian.

"Dr Brennan?" Caldwell asks, waiting for an answer to her question of whether she understands.

"Sure, of course." Brennan replies quickly. "I'm going to go lie down." She states, quickly rising to her feet and disappearing down the hall.

Or the next three days Brennan lives and breathes the safe house. Under the watchful eyes of Caldwell and Frank, Brennan eats, sleeps and via her laptop tries to accomplish some work from the lab and write a new chapter or two for her novel. With every passing minute Brennan finds herself becoming more and more claustrophobic. The only bright parts of her days are when Booth comes to check on her. Each visit she hopes he'll bring the news that Walter Rifkin has been taken into custody and she can go home. But each time she is disappointed. His latest visit brought nothing but a Starbucks coffee.

"How much longer is this going to go on?" she asks him and she sits curled up on the couch. Booth, sitting opposite her in the armchair sighs.

"Bones, I really don't know." He says. "Rifkin may be long gone but we can't take that chance without further evidence." Brennan sighs heavily. _I know he's right but I'm not sure I can spend another day here_.

"How are Caldwell and Frank treating you?"

"Wonderfully." Brennan replies sarcastically. "They're kind enough to give me about five minutes alone a day."

"They're just doing their job Bones." Booth tells her.

"I know but Booth, in all seriousness, I'm going crazy." Brennan uncurls her legs and sits up straight.

"I know this isn't easy Bones, but you have to trust that we're doing this to help you."

"I understand Booth, I'm just not used to being cooped up like this."

"You'll be fine." Booth pats her knee.

Brennan isn't sure what's come over her as she drives down the highway. She has no destination in mind, no plan, no idea what she's doing. She can barely remember leaving the safe house. She just remembers feeling intense claustrophobia and a desperate need to get out. Somehow she picked up the car keys Caldwell left on a table, sneak out a window and drive the dark FBI issue SUV out the drive without being noticed. As pairs of bright headlights flash past her Brennan realises she can't keep driving forever so when she spots a roadside diner she indicates and pulls off the highway, swing the SUV into the deserted parking lot. She sighs heavily, turns off the engine and steps out into the cold night air. A few minutes later she walks in the door of the diner and looks around. She has her choice of tables but picks the one right in the back so she is out of sight. As she walks over a waitress calls to her.

"You want some coffee?"

"Yes, please." Brennan replies. She quickly checks she has some money to pay then carries on to the table. After easing herself into the booth, she leans back and takes a deep breath. _I'm free_ she thinks.

When Booth stops by the safe house that evening with dinner he is in for a shock. "What do you mean she's gone?" Booth demands. Both Caldwell and Frank stand looking ashamed and worried. "How long ago?" Booth sighs.

"A couple of hours." Caldwell tells him. "We have every available man looking for her.

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" Booth asks.

"You were in a meeting." Frank explains.

"And you're sure Walter hasn't got her?"

"Absolutely. No one came near the house." Caldwell tells him. "She snuck out, stole the car."

"We have an APB out on the vehicle." Frank adds.

"Bones." Booth sighs and shakes his head. _Sometimes she can be so frustrating_. "I'm going to go look for her, I want half hour updates." He instructs.

"Yes Sir." Caldwell replies.

Booth pulls into the parking lot of a roadside diner in desperate need for some coffee. He has been looking for Brennan fruitlessly for hours and with every passing minute he is worrying more; worrying that she's in trouble, that she's fallen into the hands of Walter or worse. When he enters the diner he heads for the counter and orders a strong black coffee. As he rests his back against the counter whilst waiting his eye catches someone in the corner and feelings of both surprise and relief wash over him. Almost hidden in a corner booth is the object of his search. A strange feeling of anger floods over him and he makes his way over.

"Bones, what the hell!" he shouts. Brennan lifts her weary head and rolls her eyes.

"Booth, what are you doing here?" she asks quietly.

"I stopped for coffee because I'm exhausted having been out looking for you for the last four hours." Brennan can clearly hear the anger and frustration in his voice.

"Well you found me." She takes a sip of her near cold coffee and leans back.

"Bones, you can't just walk out of safe house. Do you know how stupid you've been?" he asks. "Walter Rifkin is on the loose and most likely coming after you. You're putting yourself in extreme danger and for what? A bad cup of coffee?" he demands. He is finding it hard to control his anger because he is so desperate not to lose her.

"I'm sorry. You don't need to yell at me." Brennan whispers. Booth's steely face softens and he slides into the seat opposite her.

"I know you are Bones. And I'm sorry I shouted but you had me really worried." He explains. "Why'd you leave?" he asks. Brennan shrugs and fiddles with her coffee cup.

"I was going crazy there Booth. It's been three days and Walter is nowhere to be found. Maybe he's gone."

"We can't take that chance Bones." _I won't take that chance_.

"Tell me that when you've spent three days cooped up in a house with two FBI agents monitoring your every move. I just needed some space." Brennan sighs. To her surprise Booth reaches out and takes her hands in his.

"Bones." She looks up and meets his eyes. "I know this is hard but it's for your own safety. I don't want to lose you." He tells her. He tightens his hold on her hands and stares into her eyes. "I need you to trust me, okay?"

"I trust you." Brennan tells him.

"Good, then you know I'm not doing this just to irritate you." He finally lets go of her hands and quickly stands up. "Come on Bones, we need to get back." he holds out his hand and Brennan grasps it as she stands up. As they move away from the table, Booth wraps his arm around her and guides her to the exit. She finds herself leaning into him, the stress of the last few days really catching up to her.

Outside in the cold night Booth walks Brennan over to his SUV.

"Damn, I forgot my coffee." Booth sighs. "Stay in the car okay." He instructs. Brennan slips inside and closes the door as Booth jogs back over to the diner.

As Brennan waits for Booth she fiddles with the radio but jumps when she hears a tap on the window. When she turns around her eyes widen with fear as she sees Walter Rifkin waving at her with a crazed look in his eyes. She tries to get the door locked but Walter yanks open the door before she can. Brennan tries to fight him off but Walter forces a white handkerchief over her face and as Brennan inhales the fumes she knows she is being knocked out with chloroform. _Booth, help me!_ Is all she can think as Walter drags her from the SUV.

The waitress has Booth's coffee ready and as he waits for change he glances out into the parking lot. The cup of coffee falls from his hand as he sees a terrifying scene unfolding before him; Brennan being thrown into the back of a black van. He runs out of the diner with his gun drawn and takes several shots at the van. But the van screeches out of the lot undamaged, with Brennan inside. Booth quickly leaps into his SUV and tears out of the lot to follow the van. As he drives he pulls out his cell and calls the FBI.

"This is Agent Booth." He states. "We have a situation here." Booth goes on to explain his location, the description of the van and the direction is headed in. His heart pounds as he thinks about what is happening to Brennan and how this is all his fault. _I never should have left her in the car alone_ he thinks. _What was I thinking? _

Brennan wakes with a thumping headache and stinging eyes. As she adjusts to the dim lighting in her surroundings she recalls what happened to her and her breathing starts to become more rapid. Sitting up and feeling around, Brennan realises she is on a mattress with her left wrist handcuffed to a long chain which is secured to a wall. Panic sets in and Brennan jumps to her feet and starts yanking on the chain and trying to pull it off her wrist. Suddenly the lights go on and Brennan can see the whole miserable room. Then she hears a voice.

"It's pointless doing that." The voice is that of Walter Rifkin.

"Why are you doing this?" Brennan shouts into the room, not sure where Walter is.

"Because we're meant to be together but you just don't realise it yet." Walter says. "I left dinner for you by the door." He tells her. Brennan looks to the door and sees a jug of water and a plate of food on the floor a foot or so in from the heavy wooden door. "You'll need to eat to keep your strength up. We have a lot to do."

"I'm not doing anything with you!" Brennan shouts as she continues to yank on the chain.

"You'll come around. We just need some time together." Walter says, ignoring her agitated state. "You'll learn to love me as much as I love you."

As soon as the call comes through, the FBI shifts into overdrive. All available agents are called in and a massive manhunt begins. All avenues to investigation are taken and Cullen has sworn not to stop until Brennan is found. Booth is somewhat surprised at how Cullen has responded to this situation. He knows his boss wouldn't give up on someone but this type of response is usually reserved for situations when FBI agents are in trouble. It proves to Booth that despite his initial reservations, Cullen knows how important Brennan is. Booth sits at the back of the room while a briefing takes place. Agent Fielding advises the agents in the room that since Rifkin is on the run and didn't have much time to plan, he's bound to need supplies like food and water. So Rifkins' picture is circulated all over the city in the hopes that someone will recognise him having come into their store.

Booth knows he has to go tell the squints, Brennan's real family, about what's happened. He's dreading it because they've all been worried about her since this whole thing began. When he walks into the lab he knows his presence gives away that something is wrong. Angela, intuitive as always, picks up on it at first. She puts down her sketch pad and walks down the steps from the platform to meet him.

"Booth?" she asks. "Something's wrong, isn't it." She asks.

"Ang." Booth sighs.

"Booth." She pleads.

"What's going on?" Hodgins asks as he and Zach walk over to meet the two.

"Something happened to Brennan didn't it?"

"Booth?" Hodgins asks. Booth sucks in a deep breath.

"Rifkin has her." He states.

"What?" Angela looks distraught. "How?"

"She uh, Bones left the safe house and…"

"What do you mean she left the safe house?" Angela interrupts.

"It doesn't matter." Booth says. "I went to pick her up from a diner but Rifkin snatched her from the car."

"Where were you?" Hodgins demands. Booth looks remorseful as he reluctantly tells them he was in the diner.

"You left her alone!" Hodgins seems to be very angry.

"She left the safe house!" Booth argues back.

"But you left her in the car alone, this is your fault Booth." Hodgins shouts.

"Guys, please." Angela begs.

"No Ang, he has to know. Ever since he started taking Brennan out in the field bad things have been happening." Hodgins turns to Angela.

"This has nothing to do with Brennan's work in the field Jack." Angela says, somewhat tearful.

"Um Agent Booth." Zach pipes up. Booth turns to the youngster. "Is there anything we can do?" he asks. Booth is genuinely heartened by Zach's offer.

"No Zach, not right now." He pats Zach's arm. "Look, I need to get back to headquarters. I'll call as soon as I know anything." Angela nods but Hodgins just looks mad. _I can't blame him. This is my fault._

Brennan begins pacing her prison cell, seeing how far the chain lets her walk. She can circle the room but she is stopped short of reaching the door. _Not surprising_ she thinks. She sits down in front of the food and water and contemplates whether to drink or eat. She is starving and her mouth feels like rough sandpaper but she worries that Rifkin has put something in the water or in the food that will knock her out. She is terrified of not knowing what's going on in case he does something to hurt her. _One of the worst things about my job is I see the worst case scenario all the time_ she thinks. _I know what psychos like this do_. After an hour or so, she isn't sure how much time is passing, she relents and takes a sip of water, then another. She only drinks enough to salivate her mouth, knowing that if something has been put in the water she won't get the full effect of it if she only takes a little. The food she pushes aside and decides not to try.

"Temperance, don't you like what I made for you?" Walter's voice echoes in the room.

"I'm not hungry." She states.

"Sure you are, you haven't eaten in a long time." He replies. "Try a little."

"No." Brennan replies defiantly.

"Fine, but you'll need to eat something soon. You of all people know that you can't stop eating and survive." _I can go three weeks without food_ Brennan thinks. _But only three days without water_ she reminds herself. She knows if she's held here longer she'll need to drink more water. _But Booth will find me before then, I know he will_ she assures herself. He's never let her down in the past and she doesn't believe he'll let her down again.

For Booth, the next three days blur together as lead after lead pans out to nothing. Despite having all available agents on the case, almost no progress has been made. Booth has spent the last eleven hours scouring security footage from the various cameras in the vicinity of the diner again but so far nothing has turned up any clues. Just like the first time he went over the footage. Booth is beginning to lose hope and after another day of unsuccessful work he finds himself drawn back to the Jeffersonian. He feels like he needs to be close to what Brennan represents, what her life was…_is_ about. His only worry is how he will be greeted this time. He has nothing new to give them and he knows how desperate they all are to find their friend. As he walks into the lab he feels all eyes turn to him. Up on the platform he spots Hodgins. Booth meekly walks forward and Hodgins walks down to meet him.

"Hey man." Hodgins offers a friendly greeting. Booth nods and stands awkwardly, his hands in his overcoat pockets. "Listen, I'm sorry about the other day man." Hodgins says. "I was out of order."

"It's cool. We're all worried." The two shake hands before Booth leaves to go to Brennan's office. He wants to be around her things, it keeps her alive to him.

As Booth sits on the couch in Brennan's empty office Angela watches and feels deeply for him. It's been four days since Brennan was snatched from the parking lot of the diner and she knows Booth is blaming himself. His appearance tells him he hasn't slept, probably since Brennan was taken.

"Hey Booth." She says tentatively from the doorway.

"Angela, hi." Booth replies.

"No news?" she asks as she walks over to sit next to him. Booth shakes his head.

"This is all my fault." He says. "I promised I wouldn't let him hurt her."

"Booth, you can't blame yourself." Angela rests her hand on his shoulder.

"I left her alone in the car." He says.

"Booth, the only person to blame here is Walter Rifkin."

"It's been four days Angela." Booth reminds her. Both know that statistically, the longer a person is missing, the more likely are the chances of them not returning.

"But its Brennan we're talking about." Angela sniffs back the tears. "She can kick anyone's ass." She tries to smile but deep down she knows time is running out, if it hasn't already. "She's going to be fine." Angela states. "She's going to be fine." She repeats before the tears come. Booth quickly folds Angela into his arms and hugs her tightly.

"I know." He says into her hair. "I know."

Brennan has no idea how long she's now been locked in this basement. There are no windows to show her sunlight so she can't even tell if it's day or night. Walter has been leaving fresh water and food in the morning and evening for her but she never sees him so he must be coming in when she's sleeping. Not that she's getting much of that. It's only because of tiredness and weakness from lack of eating that she sleeps at all. If she had her way she'd be awake all the time.

What hits her worst is the long periods of silence. These drive Brennan to the brink of insanity but when Walter does talk to her Brennan feels intense fear. He is clearly psychotic which means his actions are unpredictable and Brennan doesn't know how long she has before he makes his next move. _I want to go home_ Brennan thinks over and over. _I want to see my friends again. I want to see Booth again_. She finds her thoughts turning to her partner repeatedly. At times she feels angry with him. He promised he wouldn't let anything happen to her but he went back into the diner for coffee leaving her alone and letting Walter snatch her. But she knows it isn't really his fault. In fact, if she hadn't left the safe house, this never would have happened. _It's entirely my fault. My stupid independence let this happen._ She finds herself in tears a lot, crying over her situation, the pain she feels from the chain on her wrist, and the thought that she might not get out of here alive.

**_Dum Dum Dum...What will happen to our heroine. Find out in the next and final chapter_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Here is the final chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy it and if so, please review at the end. Thanks_**

Brennan wakes when she hears deep breathing very close to her. When she opens her eyes she sees Walter leaning over her, his hand hovering above her cheek. She jerks up and shuffles away from him until her back hits the wall.

"Temperance." He sighs. "I'm sorry I haven't come in to see you much but I've had a lot to do." He reaches out and strokes Brennan's cheek. She turns her head in disgust and Walter quickly draws his hand back. "We're going to be leaving her soon." He tells her. This fills Brennan with fear. _If we move how will anyone find us?_ She wonders.

"I have a special place for us to live. I've been spending a lot of time making it nice for you."

"Where is it?" Brennan asks. _Maybe I can leave a message or something_.

"Oh, that's a surprise." Walter smiles. "But I know you're going to like it." He creeps over to her and pins her hands to the mattress. Then he kisses her harshly. Brennan squirms and tries to twist her head away from him. She feels so violated and physically wants to throw up. She also worries about what he might try to do to her next. Maybe a kiss isn't all he wants.

Booth is grabbing the first sleep he's had in four days when his cell rings. He knows it can only mean one thing and he answers it within seconds.

"Booth." He answers.

"It's Caldwell here. We've been mapping some sightings from stores and we think we've got something. You need to come in." Caldwell explains. Booth jumps to his feet.

"I'll be right there." Booth states. He hangs up and throws a sweater on, not caring that he probably looks like hell. He has a few days growth on his chin and he knows his eyes are red and bloodshot.

Booth walks into the FBI incident room to find it filled with agents and Director Cullen, all staring at a large city map pinned up on the wall.

"Agent Booth, now you're here we'll begin." Cullen says. Booth nods and perches on the edge of a table.

"Now, each of the red pins marks a store or place where someone has reported seeing Rifkin. With the exception of one, all are concentrated here." Cullen points to a small area on the map. We've got reports from a grocery store, a drug store, clothing store, two home furniture stores and a liquor store." Cullen explains. "This leads us to believe Rifkin has Dr Brennan held in a building inside this area." Cullen outlines an area on the map. "Our departmental profiler, Michelle Anderson, has narrowed down the search areas. Rifkin be keeping a low profile so we're looking for a building in a more remote area, few neighbours and where he can come and go with as little attention as possible."

"Lets go, lets get out there." Booth becomes anxious to go. This has reminded him of the time Kenton kidnapped Brennan and nearly killed her. He feels the same sense of urgency.

"Director Cullen." A young woman in the back speaks up. "I should point out that I feel we do have some time here."

"Michelle?" Cullen asks.

"Rifkin has an obsession with Dr Brennan and I believe he wants to keep her with him. I don't believe he'd do anything to hurt her, unless he feels threatened. That's why we need to take this easy and be careful. If we freak him out, Dr Brennan may be put in danger."

"Thank you Michelle." Cullen nods. "I need you all to head down the hall and divide into your teams." Cullen dismisses the agents but asks Booth to hang back.

"Agent Booth…Seely."

"Sir."

"I know your relationship with Dr Brennan is a complicated one." He states, indicating that he believes there is a little more to it than just work partners. "But I need you to be professional here. I can't have you running off half cocked alright?"

"Yes sir."

"Okay, now go." Cullen gestures to the door with his hand. Booth doesn't need to be asked twice. He takes off down the hall to meet up with the rest of the teams.

Followed by two agents, Pearson and Walker, Booth kicks down the door of yet another abandoned townhouse. With their guns drawn the three make their way through the house checking for signs of Brennan. Again the house seems to be empty. Then Booth steps on a creaky part of the floor. Looking down at his feet he sees that part of the floor has been covered by a brand new rug, unusual because the rest of the house is old and has only old furniture in it. Booth holsters his gun and bends down to lift the rug away. This reveals a trap door which Booth is sure will lead to Brennan. He calls the other agents over as he starts down the steps. He has to turn on his flashlight as the stairwell is in complete darkness. When he reaches the bottom he finds a small wooden table with two sets of keys on it sitting beside a heavy wooden door.

"Bones, Bones are you in there?" he calls as he picks up the keys and looks for one which will fit the lock in front of him.

Inside the darkened room Brennan has reached the depths of despair. All energy has been drained from her body and she has almost reached the conclusion that she is never going to see daylight again. Then she hears it. The word that fills her body with energy and has her on her feet for the first time in what seems like an eternity. Only one person uses that word for her and in hearing it she knows that yet again, he has come to her rescue.

"Bones." She hears him says. "Bones, are you in there?" Standing somewhat shakily on her feet Brennan calls back.

"Booth, I'm in here!" she tries to shout but her voice is weak and comes out barely audible to her own ears. "I'm in here." She repeats as she tugs on the chain desperate to get free in case Booth can't hear her and doesn't come in the door. It causes her endless pain but she continues to frantically pull, desperation overcoming everything else. _I want out, get me out _she screams on the inside.

"Bones?" Booth calls back when he thinks he hears something. "Bones, I'm going to get you out." He calls through the solid door. His fingers manically fumble through the keys until he finds one which looks like it will fit the lock. He thrusts it into the lock and holds his breath as he turns it.

When the door swings open and Brennan sees him standing there she bursts into tears and collapses to her knees, the emotional and physical turmoil of the last week overcoming her.

"Oh God Bones." Booth sighs. "Guys, I need some help down here!" he shouts up the stairwell before crossing the room to get to her. As he kneels down at her side Brennan reaches out for him with her free arm and grasps at his sweater. He lifts his hand and cups her cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb.

"It's okay Bones, I'm here." He slips his arm around her and draws her close to him, holding her tightly for a moment before planting a soft kiss on her head and pulling back. He looks her over and notices her wrist chained up. He lifts it gently and takes in the red raw irritation. Brennan winces and draws her hand back.

"Sorry." He apologises. "I'm going to get you home Bones, just hang on for a minute till we get this off." he indicates to the chain.

"Sir, I've got paramedics on the way." Agent Walker calls from the doorway.

"Hey, there's another set of keys by the door, I need them." Booth calls to him. Walker picks them up and tosses them across to Booth who catches them effortlessly. He looks through them and finds a small silver key which he slips into the lock on the cuff. Brennan looks down with anticipation as Booth turns the key. She then almost laughs as the cuff unlocks and comes away from her wrist. _I'm free_

"Let's get you out of here huh?" Booth asks. He moves into a crouched position and lifts Brennan to her feet as he rises to his. She is somewhat unstable and Booth has to hold her up. "You okay there?" he asks. Brennan nods and stumbles forward with Booth as he guides them across the floor to the stairs.

The journey to the ground level seems to take forever and with every step Brennan feels great anticipation. About half way up the stairs Booth hears disturbing activity above. There a great deal of shouting and Booth can pick out one of the agents yelling at someone to drop the gun.

As Agents Walker and Pearson head out through the house to report in that Brennan has been found they are met by an unexpected visitor. Walter Rifkin. He arrives, looking shocked to see the men in the house. He immediately raises a gun.

"What are you doing here?" he demands. "Leave her alone, don't take her from me!"

"Put the gun down." Pearson shouts. Rifkin doesn't do this. Instead he raises the gun at the agents.

"Where is she? Where have you taken her?" Rifkin demands. "Get out my way, I have to see her." Pearson yells over Rifkin as the man continues to shout about Dr Brennan. Rifkin waves the gun around carelessly and the agents fear they have only one option.

Booth pauses on the stairs as the shouting continues upstairs, hugging Brennan close to his body protectively. The shouting goes on for a moment longer then Brennan jumps when she hears a gunshot. There is a second or two of silence then Walker runs down the stairs to meet the pair.

"What happened?" Booth asks.

"Rifkin." Walker states. "Pearson shot him."

"Is he dead?" Brennan croaks.

"No, the shot was to the shoulder." Walker advises.

"Come on." Booth tightens his grip around Brennan's waist and again they start up the stairs with Agent Walker leading the way. When they emerge into the brightness of the house, Brennan squints, her eyes unaccustomed to the light. Pearson is kneeling beside Rifkin with his gun trained on the man. Both Brennan and Booth stare at Rifkin for a moment

"Come on Bones, you don't need to see him." Booth guides Brennan away. Her head turns as she walks across the room, her eyes trained on her captor until she can no longer see him. Now that he is injured and under the watchful eye of the FBI she notices how weak and unthreatening he looks. _A different man to the one I know_ she thinks.

Booth hovers nervously by the ambulance as Brennan is treated for the injuries to her wrist. When the paramedic is done, Booth moves over beside her and cups her face.

"Bones, I need to ask." He starts, unsure how he should go about asking such a difficult question.

"I don't want to talk about it." Brennan states.

"Temperance." Booth leans in close to her. "If he did anything…"

"He didn't." Brennan states. Booth wants to feel relieved but he's worried that Brennan might not be telling him the truth. He's terrified that Rifkin has hurt in a way that may be more difficult to get over than being held captive. _I don't know what I'd do if that has happened. _"I'm going to take you home now." He says. "We'll need to get a full statement but that can wait until tomorrow." Brennan merely nods in agreement and rises, still shaking a little, to her feet.

When Brennan enters her apartment she feels like she's been gone for an eternity. The place somehow looks different and it takes her a few minutes to adjust. Booth stands near the door watching her as she turns in a circle looking around.

"Everything okay?" he asks.

"Hmmm." Brennan turns her head to look at him. "Yes, fine." She answers.

"You need anything? I can make you some tea or maybe you're hungry, you want something to eat?" Booth asks. "I can order Chinese or pizza…" he rambles. This makes Brennan smile. He stops when he sees her smile, small though it may be.

"What?" he asks, a smile of his own crossing his face.

"Nothing." Brennan shakes her head. _He is so cute, being all caring_ she thinks. _But I can't tell him that_.

"Bones?" Booth probes as he walks over to her.

"Its nothing." She repeats as she drops her jacket on the couch. "I'm going to go take a shower." She tells him.

"Okay, you want me to make you anything?" he calls as she walks away.

"Tea." She replies simply. Booth nods and when she's gone he shrugs off his jacket and lays it on a chair. He rubs his hands together and walks to the kitchen.

Half an hour later Brennan has not returned from the bathroom. Booth is a little worried and walks down the hall. The shower isn't running any longer but there is no movement from inside.

"Bones?" he calls through the door as he knocks a couple of times. For a moment there is no answer then a quiet voice replies to him.

"I'll be right out."

Inside the bathroom Brennan looks at her face in the mirror. She wipes away some steam and then wipes away some tears from her cheeks. She doesn't want Booth to see her cry…again. After fixing her black tank top and pulling on the drawstring to her sweats she crosses the room and unlocks the door. Booth is waiting on the other side, leaning casually against the wall.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Mmm hmm." She mumbles and steps past him to go back to the living room. Booth knows she can't possibly be okay after going through an ordeal like she has but he isn't about to push her. He pushes himself off the wall and follows her. When he reaches the living room, Brennan has seated herself on the couch, her legs curled up under her.

"I didn't know which tea you wanted so I made some camomile." He says. Brennan smiles, letting him know that camomile tea is alright. He quickly crosses to the counter in the kitchen where he left two cups on the counter. He brings them back across, hands one to Brennan then sits down, holding his cup tightly.

"I called Angela." Booth tells her.

"How is she?" Brennan asks.

"Relieved." Booth replies. "She said she'll let you get some rest tonight but that she'll be around first thing tomorrow."

"Booth, he won't get out the hospital will he?" Brennan asks suddenly. Booth is a little startled but he quickly composes himself.

"He's under guard Bones. He's not going to hurt you."

"You said that before." She almost whispers. Booth feels a stab in his heart. _She's right. I promised I wouldn't let him hurt her but I did_. He sucks in a breath and turns to face her.

"I'm sorry." He says softly. "I broke my promise and you got hurt." He hangs his head. "I don't know what to say Bones. You trusted me and I let you down." He leans forward and puts his cup on the coffee table. There is the longest period of silence between the two. Booth waits to hear what Brennan has to say while Brennan thinks about what she should say.

"I don't blame you Booth." She finally speaks.

"You should Bones." He replies.

"Booth." Brennan suddenly reaches out and places her hand on his shoulder. "I was the one who left the safe house. And if it weren't for you I could be…well you know." She pauses. "What matters is that when I needed you, you came through." Both turns his head and meets her blue eyes which are currently lacking their usual sparkle.

"I'm glad you're okay Bones." His voice is so low he is almost whispering. She nods and adjusts her position so she is sitting back into the couch. She sips her tea and closes her eyes momentarily.

"You look exhausted Bones, I should let you get some rest." Booth rises to his feet. Brennan seems alarmed at this and it is evident on her face. "Bones?"

"I uh…um okay." She quickly agrees despite the fact that being alone right now scares her to death.

"Unless you want me to stick around?" Booth offers. He's not stupid. He can see that she doesn't want him to leave.

"I don't want to put you out." Brennan shrugs.

"There's nowhere else I need to be." Booth smiles.

A couple of hours later Booth has persuaded Brennan to go to bed and get some rest. She's been asleep for about half an hour leaving Booth to occupy himself when he hears a thud and a crash from down the hall. Booth puts down the TV remote and walks down the hall to Brennan's room. He gently pushes the slightly open door wider and he sees Brennan sitting up on her bed, her face pale and a little clammy. The lamp by the bed lies shattered on the floor.

"Bones?" he asks as he walks over to her. Her eyes are wide in fear and he can see her breathing is uneasy and fast. He sits down on the bed, takes her hand with one of his and cups her face with the other. "It's okay Bones, you're safe." He tells her as he strokes her cheek with his thumb. "It was just a nightmare." Brennan nods. "Take a few deep breaths okay." Booth instructs. Brennan begins to suck air in and out, her chest heaving. "That's good, that's good Bones. See, you're fine."

"Booth." She starts. "I'm not sure I'll ever be fine." She finally admits how she is really feeling.

"Sure you will Bones. And I'm going to be right here until you are." He draws her into his embrace and holds her tightly. _I won't let you go again._


End file.
